Dog Gone!

Horse Trails & Horse Tails

By Karen Birch, Carmarthenshire Riders Group

As the County Access and Bridleways officer for the BHS in Carmarthenshire I often go looking for new places to ride and on this sunny spring afternoon I decided I would walk an unsurfaced highway (green lane) that I had been informed was marked as a footpath and had stiles on. So at about 3pm in early March I set out into the Brecon Beacons National Park near Trapp to an area called Pal y Cwrt.

Carreg Cennen Castle © Copyright Nigel Davies I parked my 4x4 and headed off with my camera and followed a track taking photos as I went of the surface and the gates and stiles. I took pictures of the issues that needed sorting in order to open it for riders. It passed beneath Carreg Cennen Castle and was a fantastic route. Anyway I found my way across a ford and through many stiles and, yes, it was marked as a footpath, but clearly had taken traffic in its time. An old sunken road along side the river was still there but covered in stones from the old wall that
were now covered in moss and littered the surface.

I fought my way through undergrowth in places and waded through the leaf mould till I emerged in the back garden of an old cottage that was being renovated. I had been striding out because the light was going and I needed to make it back the way I had come before it got dark. I didn't want to be out on the moor on my own in the dark. But I called out to the occupant of the caravan and an elderly man and his dog came out. They were friendly and explained the history of the route and the forges in the hills making use of the fast flowing water.

I bade my farewell and set out back the way I'd come despite the landowner trying his best to send me down the short cut. Yes we have all tried them, and wished we hadn't, so I thanked him and went on my way, back the way I had come.

Unfortunately his dog, a small sheep dog type, followed me! I didn't worry too much. I guessed he would reach a point and want to go home. But the further I walked, the further he did. I could hear his master calling accross the valley...and so did the dog, but he cocked a deaf'n and kept with me. Not close enough for me to touch him but he ran ahead and kept looking back to check I was still there. I was beginning to get worried. The light was going so I couldn't walk him back to the farm. I ignored him and kept walking, all the time thinking about what I could do.

I got to a stile. I strided up the steps and over it and kept walking realising shortly after that the dog wasn't with me. I looked back and saw him running the length of the sheep wire fence looking for a place to get through. At last I thought. He will go home.

But no!....I looked back again and he had attempted to squeeze through the slats that made up the stile. He had got himself stuck and was struggling. I couldn't leave him. I ran back and could do no more than pull him through to my side. I was pleased to see him unhurt. Unfortunately this left me with a bit of a problem. He couldn't go home on his own now! Well by this time I hadn't tried to call him, but as I was walking and thinking what to do, I thought that unless I could get hold of him he may run out into the mountain road at the other end andget hurt, or worse, if a car was passing. So
now I was looking for bale string tied to fences.

Why is it that you never see any when you want it? Now I tried to call him. He came and was pleased to have a fuss made of him, but off he went ahead of me stopping at the top of the hill and waiting a few moments just to check I was coming before continuing.

I did wonder if he walked this route every day with his master. I thought that if I could get him under control I could drive him back to the farm when I got to the car. Yes, thats what I will do. Suddenly everything would be OK. Still no bale string! So as we were nearing the end of the track I put the sleeve of my jumper round him to see if he would lead. Would you beleive it...no! He got really frightened. 'That's done it' I thought he won't come to me again and the road was only 100 metres away.

Well not sure how but I managed to manhandle him to the car. Literally by making fuss of him constantly. Thank God for that! It was getting dark, but at least we made it. I thought how pleased his master would be when he had him back. I opened the car door on the passenger side and said, "go on then, in you get". I didn't speak Welsh but when he didn't move I thought ...he's Welsh! I tried lifting him onto the front seat with him in my arms, but he got frightened again and for the first time I thought I might get bitten. That wasn't a good idea!

I opened the back door and manouvered its contents to accommodate the dog and tried to persuade him to get in but he was having none of it. I was desperate now! I sat on a rock stroking him, thinking what to do. I realised I had the BBNP rangers mobile number on my phone so I rang him making lots of appologies for ringing him on a Sunday evening and explained my problem. "Don't worry" he said. Leave him there he will find his own way home. I couldn't be bothered to try and explain why that wasn't possible because of the stile and I Afon Cennen © Copyright Trevor Rickard wasn't going to leave him on the moors. Before I disconnected he said "take him to Brondai I'm sure they will look after him." So that's what I did. I found a belt in the car and gingerly tried to lead him to the nearest farm. They were very understanding and I left him there and drove round to find the farm at which I had first met him. I sent my appologies to the man I had spoken to and explained the problem I had had. He wasn't very sympathetic but was glad to hear his dog was OK. I explained that I was going to bring him back but he wouldn't get in the car. "No" he said,
"he won't get in cars and he won't go on a lead He'll find his own way home
either". Suddenly I felt very sorry because how
was he going to get him back from the farm where
I had left him?......I thought it best I left!